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STRYPER \n They say that even the devil believes that Jesus is God, the Ultimate Authority figure and the Creator of all things. Maybe now he\u2019ll also believe that Stryper is a serious power metal band to be reckoned with. Hell, he probably figured that out back in 1984, but this album is a serious metal onslaught that has everything those testosterone-filled Stryper fans have been demanding for decades. Yep, it\u2019s heavy as hell.<\/span><\/p>\n \n While this reviewer loves those wimpy power ballads and melodic pop metal choruses that Stryper has been known for, he also appreciates the high-energy heaviness and dominating power chording and open-string bombastic resonation that Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Iommi unleashed upon the earth back at the start of the \u201cme decade.\u201d Layered with keyboards, BGVs and dual guitar fills galore, this music demands to be played loud.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The lead-off track, \u201cBlood From Above,\u201d sets the tone, tempo and vibe and \u201cMake Love Great Again\u201d adds even more sound. These power riffs are slightly slower. Think of a giant military tank rolling over stuff. The vocals bring melody, but it serves the tune well.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cLet Him In\u201d is an evangelistic tune that unashamedly invites the listener to make the only logical conclusion and \u201cIf you believe in Him, a new life begins \u2026 believe He died for you and rose again in truth, now there\u2019s only one thing left to do: let \u2013 Him \u2013 in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cDo Unto Others\u201d continues with great picking, super hard drumming and perfect guitar tone. It\u2019s nice to hear Michael Sweet and Oz Fox compliment and support each other for solos while the other lays down rhythms.<\/span><\/p>\n \n By the time this reviewer gets to only the 5th song, it feels like a good workout has already been had. This title track will surely become a crowd favorite in a live setting with big open power chords, upfront drums and plenty of parts that pause ever so slightly to invite sing-alongs.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The chorus in \u201cHow to Fly\u2019\u201d has some beautiful Beatlesque harmonies without taming the song\u2019s punch. This might be a first for Stryper and they do it well.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The biggest surprise is the ballad, \u201cThis I Pray,\u201d which starts off and is led by the acoustic guitar (!). It\u2019s a feel-good number not unlike those Poison ballads from the end of the 80s, like \u201cEvery Rose Has Its Thorn.\u201d The drums kick in and the vocals soar. The band bio reveals that they pulled out an old, never-before-heard song and re-worked it for this album. This reviewer\u2019s guess is that it was this one due to its tempo and tone. New or old, this is a great song and a smart inclusion. A syrupy keyboard ballad like \u201cTogether as One\u201d or \u201cHonestly\u201d would probably sound way too distant from these other songs, but this one fits perfectly with its soulful grit.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cInvitation Only\u201d could also be the mysterious older song. It has big chorus lines and joyously proclaims about the \u201cgreater unknown\u201d that those who hold on will access.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cFor God, Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll\u201d is similar to \u201cInvitation Only,\u201d in that it\u2019s a straight-up rocker with lots of punch. I dare anyone to not sing along when no one\u2019s watching.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cMiddle Finger Messiah\u201d ends the album with a frenetic pace. It starts off name-appropriately with a fast snare drum keeping time. The climbing cadence is not too unlike the Judas Priest song, \u201cExciter\u201d (minus the high-pitched chorus).<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s a pleasant surprise that Stryper has not mellowed with age. Aggression ranks high here.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Wow. If they\u2019ve never proved it before, this album clearly defines Stryper as a guitar-oriented band \u2013 not a vocal hit machine. The lead and background vocals sound great and melodies are there throughout, but they don\u2019t take center stage here as much as the riffage and guitar shredding does.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Even the Devil Believes is easily Stryper\u2019s heaviest album. Any observer paying attention should\u2019ve seen this coming with No More Hell to Pay and God Damn Evil, but who would\u2019ve guessed that this metal onslaught would continue track after track? While this tough-guy formula perhaps didn\u2019t get the band to where they are today, it\u2019s nigh impossible to not like these heavier hooks and be thankful for this seismic earth-shaking heaviness. STRYPER Even the Devil Believes They say that even the devil believes that Jesus is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1020],"tags":[82,83,69],"class_list":["post-2522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review","tag-dio-d88","tag-iron-maiden","tag-stryper-d17"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nEven the Devil Believes<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u2013 Doug Van Pelt<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"